Suspect in Deadly Shooting of Minnesota Rep Melissa Hortman & Her Husband and Senator John Hoffman & His Wife Identified — Details

The man wore a badge he hadn't earned and carried a mission no one saw coming. Now, a state mourns — and hunts for answers in the chaos he left behind.

The quiet of a Minneapolis suburb was shattered on Saturday as law enforcement launched an intense manhunt for a man accused of a brazen, politically charged shooting that claimed the life of a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and left another seriously injured..

According to state authorities, 57-year-old Vance Boelter is the suspect in the fatal shootings of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, inside their Brooklyn Park residence.

The same day, Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were wounded at their home in nearby Champlin. The two crime scenes, only nine miles apart, have been linked by what officials believe is a coordinated attack motivated by political animosity.

Governor Tim Walz described the killings as a "politically motivated assassination," underscoring the grave implications of the violence. The FBI has issued a $50,000 reward for information that leads to Boelter’s arrest and conviction.

Boelter was last seen wearing a tan cowboy hat, captured in surveillance footage. Authorities revealed that he was impersonating a police officer during the attacks, using a vehicle equipped with emergency lights and sirens.

Inside the vehicle, investigators discovered a manifesto listing lawmakers' names and documents bearing the phrase "No Kings," suggesting a broader ideological motive.

The suspect remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous. Law enforcement agencies, including hundreds of officers, are actively combing the region in hopes of capturing him before he can flee the area or inflict further harm.

As the search intensifies, more is being uncovered about the man at the center of this unfolding tragedy. Dr. Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old suspect, is no stranger to security operations. His professional background spans volatile regions in Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including high-tension zones like the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

He claims experience with private security contractors as well as training alongside U.S. military personnel. In recent years, Boelter positioned himself as a security expert in the private sector.

He has held roles with several multinational corporations, including a major U.S. oil refining company, a leading Swiss-based food manufacturer, and a global retail chain headquartered in Japan.

Most notably, he has been serving as the CEO of Red Lion Group since 2021, a role highlighted prominently on his LinkedIn profile. Boelter also founded Praetorian Guard Security Services, where he promoted a mission of safeguarding families and property, leveraging what he described as a combination of field expertise and high-level strategic training.

Academically, Boelter earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from St. Cloud State University in 1996, followed by a Master of Science in Management and a doctorate from Cardinal Stritch University, completed in 2010 and 2016 respectively.

Authorities have yet to disclose what may have driven someone with such a background to allegedly carry out politically motivated attacks. As investigators sift through his manifesto and personal records, the mystery surrounding his motives continues to deepen.

Law enforcement efforts intensified Sunday as SWAT teams and officers from multiple agencies executed a coordinated search of properties tied to Boelter. According to Sibley County Sheriff Patrick Nienaber, officers converged on Boelter’s residence in Green Isle, Minnesota, a rural area southwest of the Twin Cities.

While the suspect was not present at the time of the operation, investigators began an extensive search of both the main home and an adjacent farm site in search of evidence.

Footage aired by CNN affiliate KARE captured a line of armored vehicles moving through the area, signaling the scale and urgency of the operation. Sheriff Nienaber confirmed that more than 75 personnel, drawn from multiple sheriff’s departments and specialized SWAT units, participated in the effort.

As investigators piece together the disturbing sequence of events, chilling new details have emerged about the suspect’s methods and intentions. According to law enforcement sources, Boelter was reportedly wearing a realistic latex mask at the time of the shootings, a disguise that may have helped him evade initial detection.

The use of such a mask has raised concerns about the level of planning and deception involved in the attack. Also, the discovery of a manifesto in Boelter’s vehicle has further deepened the alarm.

Described by Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley as containing the names of "many lawmakers and other officials," the document points to a broader plot that extended beyond the two targeted households.

Sources familiar with the investigation confirmed that the suspect had compiled a list of names of Minnesota Democrats. Among those named were Governor Tim Walz, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, and State Attorney General Keith Ellison.

The existence of the list has prompted heightened security measures for public officials across the state. In the immediate aftermath of the shootings, Vance Boelter briefly returned to a place that had offered him anonymity — a rented room in a Minneapolis home on the 4800 block of Fremont Avenue.

There, according to reports, he left behind a message that may provide the clearest window yet into his state of mind. Boelter sent a text to his roommates, identified only as David and Ron.

In the message, he expressed affection and regret, writing, "David and Ron, I love you guys. I've made some choices and you guys don't know anything about this, but I'm going to be gone for a while. I may be dead shortly."

He emphasized that they knew nothing about what had transpired and that he didn’t want to say anything more that might implicate them. Vance concluded with, "I love you guys and I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused." The message suggests Boelter was aware of the gravity of his actions and anticipated their consequences.